Fourth round singles action concludes on Wednesday.
None of the top names playing their round of 16 matches on Wednesday are faced with easy draws. Novak Djokovic takes on defending champion Jack Draper. In a rematch of their epic 2023 Roland Garros final, Iga Swiatek plays Karolina Muchova. And in a rematch of the 2022 US Open final, Carlos Alcaraz goes up against Casper Ruud.
Here’s a rundown of the most notable matches on Wednesday (in chronological order, all times local):
Karolina Muchova (13) vs. Iga Swiatek (2) – 11:00am on Stadium 1
Their aforementioned Roland Garros final was a back-and-forth affair, with Muchova leveling the match by taking a tight second set, but Swiatek eventually winning after nearly three hours of play. Overall Iga leads their head-to-head 4-1, and has now taken their last four meetings. That includes their most recent one, which was at this same event a year ago, when Swiatek prevailed 6-1, 6-1.
Jessica Pegula (5) vs. Belinda Bencic (12) – Second on Stadium 1
Pegula has been pushed to three sets in each of her first two matches, by both Donna Vekic and Jelena Ostapenko. Bencic is yet to lose a set, dropping just five games in each of her first two matches. And Bencic is a perfect 4-0 against Pegula, though they haven’t played in nearly three years.
Daniil Medvedev (11) vs. Alex Michelsen – Not Before 1:00pm on Stadium 2
Medvedev has been clinical through two rounds, and he’s now a superb 15-3 on the year, having already collected two hard court titles (Brisbane, Dubai). Michelsen upset fellow American Taylor Fritz on Monday, a round after surviving a nearly three-hour three-setter against Ugo Humbert. But in three prior encounters against Medvedev, Michelsen has failed to procure a set, including just two months ago in the Brisbane semifinals.
Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs. Casper Ruud (13) – Third on Stadium 1
Alcaraz needed to come back from a set down on Monday night to overcome Arthur Rinderknech, to extend his 2026 record to 14-0. On the same day, Ruud also came from behind to beat Valentin Vacherot in three. Alcaraz is 5-1 against Ruud, with Casper’s only victory coming indoors at the 2024 ATP Finals. In their most recent meeting, six months ago in Tokyo, Carlitos won 6-4 in the third.
Novak Djokovic (3) vs. Jack Draper (14) – Not Before 6:00pm on Stadium 1
Djokovic is another player who has already contested a pair of three-setters this fortnight, to reach the round of 16 at Indian Wells for the first time since 2017. Draper was quite impressive in the last round, taking out Francisco Cerundolo in straights, in only the Brit’s second tournament since August. Their only previous matchup took place five years on the grass of Wimbledon, with Djokovic defeating Draper in four, though Jack was still a teenager and ranked outside the world’s top 250.
Sonay Kartal vs. Elena Rybakina (3) – Fourth on Stadium 2
Rybakina is now 14-3 this season, and is 13-3 lifetime at this tournament. Kartal already upset two top 20 seeds (Navarro, Keys), equaling the Brit’s best result here from a year ago. This will be a first-time meeting.
Wednesday’s full Order of Play is here.
